Grate-bar spacer for thrashers



I July 1, 1930. FISHER 1,769,128

GRATE BAR SPA-GER FOR THRASHERS I Filed D80. 25 1925 Patented July 1, 1930 Ti'T EIENBY Ii. FISHER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNQR TO INTERNATIONAL HABVESTER COMPANY, ACOBPORATION OF NEW JERSEY GRATE-IBAB S PACER FOR THRASHERS Application filed December as, 1926. Serial No. 156,562.

This invention is in the art of thrasher's and relates particularly to an improved grate bar spacing means for the grates of such machines. p

In conventional thrashers these grates are located beneath the thrashing cylinder and rearwa-rdly of the concave. These grates comprise a series ofspaced bars, said bars being apertured to receive bolts, with cast washers on the bolts functioning as spacers when the blank is bent into a U, it will leave slots forthe reception of the grate bars. A bolt is then passed through the U and the bars to lock them in fixed position, as will later ppe Looking to the accompanying sheet of drawings illustrating one embodiment which this invention may assume in practice, it will be seen that,

Figure 1 is a general side elevational, sectional view, showing a thrashing cylinder, concave, and grate;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the improved grate unit;

Figure 3is a sideview of the grate .unit;

Figure 4; is a plan view of the undeveloped spacer blankwith its cut-outs;

Figure 5 is a side view, showing the next step in the development of the improved spacer;

Figure 6 is a side View, showing the completely developed spacer; and V Figure 7 is a detail sectional end view of the spacer showing the means for locking the bars in place, as seen along the line 77 of Figure 2. V

The general view of the thrasher shows a body 10, in which is journaled a shaft 11,

carrying a thrashing cylinder 12, provided with the usual cylinder teeth 13, which cooperate with teeth 1a on a concave 15, carried in the body 10 beneath said cylinder,-as will be understood. Rearward'ly of the concave and beneath the cylinder is generally shown a grate'16 having spaced grate bars 17.

These grate bars are conventionally spaced apart by cast washers, as has been stated, and

secured together by bolts" at three spacedpoints, to wit, at their ends and in the center. As has been stated heretofore, in the objects, it is the purpose herein to provide a more eliicient and a simpler spacing means for the bars than the washer idea conventionally em ployedn For this purpose an improved spacer has been designed, asshown in Figure 4, comprising a flat blank 18 of sheetmetal formed with spaced cut-outs 19 along its longitudinalmedlan line, said cut-outs being oval and tapered from their centers on said median line toward the marginal edges of the blank. With the blank thus far completed, the next step in the development of the spacer is to fold it gener ally into the cross sectional shape of a U, as is clearly illustrated in Figure 7 This, leaves the member as shown in Figure 5 with its top and bottom edges lying parallel in horizontal planes. At this time the cut-outs 19 have I their edges diverging from the bottom to the top, as shown. The next step in theformation of the spacer is to bend it out of its flat shape into a generally arcuate shape with the cut-outs on the convex side of the bend as bars 17. Each bar is provided with an aper ture, as has been stated, so that an arcuate bolt 20 may be passed therethrough and through the spacer, as shown 111 Figures 3 and 7, the bolt having a head 21 engaging the end of the spacer, and a nut 22 at its other end similarly engaging the other end of the spacer to lock the bars securely in proper spaced relationship to form the grate bar unit shown in Figure 2. In practice, two or three grate units will be employed side 7 by side, and they will be supported in the thrasher body underneath the thrashing cylinder in the usual manner. Each grate bar section may have any predetermined number of bars and, of course, the spacers will be formed with the proper number of notches to receive said bars. The last step of arcuating the spacer may be dispensed with in practice,

as it has been found practicable to leave the spacer as shown in Figure 5. The bars may be put in place and when the fastening bolt is secured, its pressure will arcuate the spacer properly.

From the above detailed disclosure, it can I now be seen that a simple and effective spacing means has been provided for the bars of a thrasher grate.

It is the intention to coverall changesand modifications of the illustrative embodiment of this invention herein shown, which do not depart from the spirit and scope of this invention, as it is indicated in the following claims.

What I claim as new is: 1. A grate bar spacer comprising an elongated blank provided with spaced cut-outs on its median line which taper toward tne marginal side-s of the blank, said blank being folded into a U cross-sectional shape and arc- 1 uated by compression to narrow the cut-outs so that their edges will be parallel and form V I grate bar receiving and clamping notches.

2. Ina thrasher, a grate comprising bars, a spacer for the bars comprising a metalfblank bent upon itself to form a U and arcuated in.

the direction of its length, the sides of the U being formed-with opposed, spaced notches that communicate across the bight of the U to receive the bars, an arcuate bolt passed through the U in the direction of its length and through the bars, and a nut on the bolt for compressing the spacer in thedirection of its length to narrow the notches to cause them to clamp the bars. v

3. In a thrasher, a grate comprising a series of spaced grate bars, a plurality-of arcuated members provided with spaced notches to receive said bars, and compression means acting on the members partly to close the notches to clamp the bars therein.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

HENRY L. FISHER. 

